= Syllable onset
A <syllable onset> is the constituent preceding the <syllable nucleus> within a <syllable>. It may contain one <consonant> or a <consonant cluster>, and some <syllables> have no onset. A language's <phonotactics> constrains which combinations can occupy that position.<Essentials of Linguistics (2nd edition) by Catherine Anderson and others>[§3.10, syllable margins, onset clusters and onsetless syllables]{ref}
In “cat”, `[k]` is a simple <syllable onset>; in “stay”, `[st]` forms a cluster before the <vowel>. A vowel-initial pronunciation can instead begin directly with the <syllable nucleus>. This is a statement about spoken structure: the number of written initial letters need not equal the number of onset <consonants>, and no physical pause is required at every syllable boundary.
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